Household-sifter.



P. LEHRMANN & T. J. GULLEN.

HOUSEHOLD SIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1913.

1,070,824, Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

Fllll- WITNESSES oslrno PATENT OFFICE.

' rnnnnnrcx nn mnalm. or TURTLE cnnnx. AN mnomns T. .GIILLEN, or wns'r nomns'rnnn, rnmrstlnynnm.

nor m msrrrra Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK Lnnn- MANN, a resident of Turtle Creek, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and THOMAS J. CULLEN, a resident of West Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, both being citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Household-Sifters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has particular reference to the shaker or agitator of asifter for flour and other materials, the-object being to pro- .vide an efiicient and serviceable mounting forthe agitator, together. with improved means for transmitting movement to the agitator and for limiting such movement.

In the accompanying drawings,.Fig'ure 1 is a sectional elevation of a sifter embodying the invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the agitator mounting. Referring to the drawings, 2 is a container body of conventional form, and 3 is its perforate bottom formed preferably of wire mesh. At one. side of the body is handle 4.

The agitator element consists of a central hub-like part 5 from which radiate arms 6, the whole being of circular outline for fitting within body 2. The agitator is preferably stamped from" a sheet or plate of metal, the hub and arms being flat and lying close to the upper surface of bottom 3.

The agitator mounting-consists of-a bolt which extends downwardly through the agitator and bottom 3 as well as through the transverse bottom reinforcing bar 7 located immediately beneath the sieve. The upper end of the bolt is formed with head 8 and beneath the head is bearing surface 9 on which the agitator is adapted 1 to rotate. The bearing surface terminates in shoulder 10 which forms an abutment for washer 11 interposed between the agitator and sieve 3. Part 12 of the bolt extending downwardly from shoulder 10 is threaded externally to receive nut 13 which clamps or fixes the bolt in place, the sieve and bar 7 being clamped between washer 11 and the nut, as shown. By this means a permanent and durable mounting is provided for the agitator spindle. While the agitator is freely movable thereon it cannot become displaced, and the construction provides for permanently spacing the bearing surface and the agitator above the sieve with the result that the movement of the agitator cannot be interfered with even though its mounting is very tightly clamped by nut 13.

Motion is transmitted to the agitator by I means of rod 14 which is entered through an aperture in the handle side of body 2, theinner portion .ofthe rod being bent at 14 and its extremity pivoted to one of arms 6, asindicated at 15.. The outer portion of rod 14 is looped at 16 with the extremity gage the outer face of'the body and limit the inward movement of the rod. A flat spring 18 has its upper portion curved as shown and riveted to the inner side of handle 4 with the extremity of the spring secured to loop 16 of the rod. The spring operates to hold the rod normally extended inward with stop 17 engaging body 2, the rod being sprung outward by pressure on spring 18 conveniently applied by the operators hand while holding the sifter by handle 4.

We claim 1. In a household Sifter, the combination of a container having a perforate bot-tom, an agitator, a headed bolt extending downwardly through the agitator and through the perforate bottom, the bolt formed with a neck portion beneath itshead upon which the agitator is freely rotatable, said neck portion terminating in an annular abutmentforming'shoulder with the lower portion of the bolt threaded and extending through the perforate bottom and stopped by said shoulder, a nut fitting the bolt beneath the perforate bottom, and means for actuating the agitator.

2. 'In a household sifter, the combination of a container having a perforate bot-tom, an agitator formed witha central bearing opening, a headed bolt extending downwardly through said opening and through the perforate bottom, the bolt formed with a neck-like portion beneath its head to provide a bearing surface for the agitator, the lower extremity of the neck-like portion being in the same plane as the bottom face of the agitator and with said neck portion of sufficient depth to afford the agitator free of the loop turned backwardly at 17 to en- Q, Lemme rotary movement therearound, a spacing element removebly located on the bolt above the perforate bottom with the lower extremity of the neck portion of the bolt adapted to engage the same and with the agitator bearing downwardly thereon, and means beneath the perforate bottom for securing the bolt to the latter. I

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures 1n presence of two wltnesses.

FREDERICK LEHRMANN. THOMAS J. CULLEN.

Witnesses:

DAVID L. SHANER, WALTER TERRILL, Jr. 

